Fiberboard container



Dec. 12, 1961 A. F. GANDER FIBERBOARD CONTAINER Filed May 16, 1960 INVEN TOR. AMA 0Z0 E 64/1/05? BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office3,012,703 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 3,012,703 FIBERBOARD CONTAINER ArnoldF. Gander, Berkeley, Calif., assignor to Western Corrugated, Inc., acorporation of California Filed May 16, 1960, Ser. No. 29,225 4 Claims.(Cl. 229-46) FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the fiberboard blank of thisinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a container erected from the blank ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section through the erected container takenon line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Generally, the carton of this invention is particularly designed forcarrying foods and produce and is characterized by its smooth, doublereinforced bottom and ends each having a total of five thicknesses offiberboard. The container thus has extreme strength and rigidity,especially when stacked.

Referring to the drawings where like characters refer to like partsthroughout, there is shown a single, rectangular blank where many of thescore lines thereof which divide the various panels form continuousstraight lines. This makes possible the formation of many of the scorelines with rotating scoring equipment beneath which the blanks may bemoved. The outer (lowermost) bottom 10 of the container has score lines12 running along the longitudinal edges thereof providing hinges for theside panels 14 and 16. The lateral (shortest) edges of bottom it) areout free. The side panels 14 and 16 may have one or more ventilatingholes therein. Score lines 18 and 2t) run along the longitudinal edgesof panels 14 and 16 respectively and articulated therealong are coverpanels 22 and 24 (which may be folded inwardly to provide doublethickness sides). Side panel 14 is provided with score lines 26 alongits lateral edges and along which a pair of rectangular end panels 28and 30 are hinged. Similarly, the opposite side wall 16 is provided withscore lines 32 along its lateral edges and along which exterior endpanels 34 and 36 are hinged. As shown, these exterior end panels may beprovided with a tab 38 therein, shown cut on three sides and hinged onthe fourth (alternatively, the rectangle shown can be cut entirely free)whereby to provide means for gripping the assembled carton with thefingertips.

Each of the exterior end panels 34 and 36 has hinged thereto along alongtiudinal edge, and more specifically along lines 40 and 42,respectively, a bottom reinforcing panel designated 44 and 46,respectively. When assembled, as shown in FIGURE 2, and as further shownin the sectional side elevation in FIGURE 3, the leading edges 48 and 50of the aforementioned bottom reinforcing panels 44 and 46 abut oneanother while overlying the bottom 10, thus affording a smooth surfaceand a bottom of double thickness. End wall panels 28 and 30 each havehinged thereto along longitudinal edges represented by lines 49 and 51,respectively, additional reinforcing end wall panels 52 and 54respectively. Additional reinforcing panel 56 is hingedly connected tothe other longitudinal edge of panel 28 by means of spaced score lines60 and 62 while the corresponding end reinforcing panel 58 is hingedlyconnected to the other longitudinal edge of end panel 30 by means ofspaced score lines 64 and 66.

End panels 63 and 70 represent the innermost end walls of the assembledcarton, and each is provided with a tongue designated 72 and 74,respectively, of a size and location to register with slot 76 or 78 ofthe bottom reinforcing panel 44 or 46. End wall 68 is hinged tosupporting panel 34 along a longitudinal edge thereof and moreparticularly along spaced score lines 80 and 81 which together providethe narrow horizontal ledge 82 in the assembled carton. Similarly,interior end wall panel 70 is along a longitudinal edge of panel 36 and,more particularly, is hinged along spaced score lines 84 and 85 whichtogether form the narrow ledge 86 in the assembled carton. The narrow(lateral) edges of panels 68 and 70 are both out free and the otherlongitudinal edge of each panel is also free.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the preferred structure results in opposite sideswhich are mirror images of one another. This places the two tongues 72and 74- along one edge of the rectangular blank and results in lessfiberboard being consumed than if the tongues were on opposite sides ofthe blank.

A conveniently sized commercial embodiment of this carton results from ablank 48 /2" by 42". The preferred sizes of the individual panels may bedetermined from the drawing which represents the aforementioned sizedblank drawn to scale.

In erecting the container into the form shown in FIG- URE 2, end wallpanel 36 is bent upwardly around hinged crease 32 while the bottomreinforcing panel 46 is bent at right angles to end wall panel 36 aboutcrease 4'2. Simultaneously, side wall 16 is bent at right angles toexterior bottom panel 10 and the opposite end wall 34 is bent at rightangles around crease 32 while interior bottom reinforcing panel 44 isbent upwardly about crease 40. Panels 52 and 54 are then pulled downtightly against end wall panels 28 and 30, respectively, and each ofpanels 28 and 30 is bent upwardly about crease lines 26 following whichside panel 14 is bent upwardly at a right angle to bottom 10 aboutcrease line 12. Panels 56 and 58 are forced tightly over panels 52 and54, respectively, so as to form a reinforcement of triple thickness, andeach triple thick unit is placed against the interior of end wall 34,0r36. The two panels 63 and 70 are thereafter swung inwardly and tongues72 and 74 inserted in the slots 76 and 78. The cover panels 22 and 24are folded into place after the carton has been filled with produce orthe like.

This carton has been specifically designed to provide a container whichrepresents a proper balance between the desiderata of maximum stackingstrength, maximum loading capacity and minimum of uneven surfaces,particularly on the inside of the bottom. Uneven interior bottomsurfaces will damage tomatoes, peaches and the like.

Obviously many modifications and variations may be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this invention, and thereforeonly such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

I. A rectangular fiberboard blank suitable for being folded into acontainer for produce and the like comprising: a first rectangular mainbottom panel having free lateral edges; a side panel articulated alongeach longi tudinal edge of said main bottom panel, each of said sidepanels having articulated thereto along one longitudinal edge thereof asecond panel of a size substantially equivalent to that of the said sidepanel, each of said side panels having articulated to each lateral edgethereof an end wall panel whereby four end wall panels are directlyarticulated to said side panels, two of said four end wall panelsserving as exterior end wall panels when the said blank is assembledinto a container, each of the said exterior end wall panels havingarticulated thereto along a first longitudinal edge a first reinforcingend Wall panel of substantially equivalent size and shape, each of saidfirst reinforcing end wall panels having free lateral edges and a freelongitudinal edge, each of said two exterior end wall panels havingarticulated along a longitudinal edge thereof a bottom reinforcingpanel, each of said other two of said four end wall panels havingarticulated along each longitudinal edge thereof a second and thirdreinforcing end wall panel of a size and shape substantially equivalentto that of the first reinforcing end wall panel.

2. A rectangular fiberboard blank suitable for being folded into acontainer for produce and the like comprising: a first rectangular mainbottom panel having free lateral edges; a side panel articulated alongeach longitudinal edge of said main bottom panel, each of said sidepanels having articulated thereto along one longitudinal edge thereof asecond panel of a size substantially equivalent to that of the said sidepanel, each of said side panels having articulated to each lateral edgethereof an end wall panel whereby four end wall panels are directlyarticulated to said side panels, two of said four end wall panelsserving as exterior end wall panels when the said blank is assembledinto a container, each of the said exterior end wall panels havingarticulated thereto along a first longitudinal edge a first reinforcingend wall panel of substantially equivalent size and shape, each of saidfirst reinforcing end wall panels having free lateral edges and a freelongitudinal edge, each of said two exterior end wall panels havingarticulated along a longitudinal edge thereof a bottom reinforcingpanel, each of the said bottom reinforcing panels having a free leadingedge and being of such a size that when the said blank is folded into acarton, the said bottom will be completely covered and the said leadingedges of said bottom reinforcing panels will abut one another, each ofsaid other two of said four end wall panels having articulated alongeach longitudinal edge thereof a second and third reinforcing end wallpanel of a size and shape substantially equivalent to that of the firstreinforcing end wall panel.

3. A generally rectangular, fiberboard blank suitable for being foldedinto a container for produce and the like comprising: a rectangular mainbottom panel having free lateral edges; a side panel articulated alongeach longitudinal edge of said main bottom panel, each of said sidepanels having articulated thereto along one longitudinal edge thereof asecond panel of a size substantially equivalent to that of the said sidepanels, each of said second panels serving as a top flap and togethercomprising the top for the said container, each of said side panelshaving articulated to each lateral edge thereof an end wall panelwhereby four end wall panels are directly articulated to said sidepanels, two of said four end wall panels serving as exterior end wallpanels when the said blank is assembled into a container, each of thesaid exterior end Wall panels having articulated thereto along a firstlongitudinal edge a first reinforcing end wall panel of substantiallyequivalent size and shape, each of said first reinforcing end wallpanels having free lateral edges and a free longitudinal edge, each ofsaid two exterior end wall panels having articulated along alongitudinal edge thereof a bottom reinforcing panel, each of said othertwo of said four end wall panels having articulated along eachlongitudinal edge thereof a second and third reinforcing end wall panelof a size and shape substantially equivalent to that of the firstreinforcing end wall panel.

4. A generally rectangular, fiberboard blank suitable for being foldedinto a container for produce and the like comprising: a rectangular mainbottom panel having free lateral edges; a side panel articulated alongeach longitudinal edge of said main bottom panel, each of said sidepanels having articulated thereto along one longitudinal edge thereof asecond panel of a size substantially equivalent to that of the said sidepanels, each of said second panels serving as a top flap and togethercomprising the top for the said container, each of the said side panelshaving articulated to each lateral edge thereof an end wall panelwhereby four end wall panels are directly articulated to said sidepanels, tWo of said four end wall panels serving as exterior end wallpanels when the said blank is assembled into a container, each of thesaid exterior end wall panels having articulated thereto along a firstlongitudinal edge a first reinforcing end Wall panel of substantiallyequivalent size and shape, each of said first reinforcing end wallpanels having free lateral edges and a free longitudinal edge, each ofsaid two exterior end wall panels having articulated along alongitudinal edge thereof a bottom reinforcing panel, each of the saidbottom reinforcing panels having a free leading edge and being of such asize that when the said blank is folded into a carton, the said bottomwill be completely covered and the said leading edges of said bottomreinforcing panels will abut one another, each of said other two of saidfour end wall panels having articulated along each longitudinal edgethereof a second and third reinforcing end wall panel of a size andshape substantially equivalent to that of the first reinforcing end wallpanel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,755,690 Heim Apr. 22, 1930 2,845,211 Hauck July 29, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 583,870 Canada Sept. 22, 1959

